Official FAQ :: 0 A.D. :: Wildfire Games

Official FAQ

Posted by Webmaster on October 2 2004, 07:28 AM

0 A.D. is a work in progress. This document reflects the current state of the game at the time of each FAQ update, and is subject to change.

PROJECT

* What is 0 A.D.?
0 A.D. ("Zero ey dee") is a historical Real Time Strategy game currently under development by Wildfire Games. As the military leader of an ancient civilisation, you must gather the resources you need to raise a military force capable of dominating your enemies.

* How long has 0 A.D. been in development?
Following Wildfire's successful development of the Age of Empires® II (Age of Kings) mod, "Rome at War", which added the Roman and Greek civilisations to the game, 0 A.D. originally began as a huge total conversion mod for AoK in June of 2001.

* Is this a mod pack for an existing game? Or a total conversion?
No, 0 A.D. is a completely independent game developed in-house by Wildfire Games. We are creating a custom 3D engine for this purpose.

* What is the game's current stage of development?
Currently 0 A.D. is in pre-alpha. That means that preproduction (design work, recruitment, establishing forum network, website, and communication intrastructure) has been completed. Engine development is underway, and artists are working on concept art, modelling, and texturing.

We will now work through a series of alpha milestones until we have the functional basics of a playable game (the alpha version). After this we'll have a stage of extreme in-house testing to ensure that gameplay fundamentals are fun, while improving the cosmetic aspects of the game and creating additional content. We will then continue to test, improve, and expand the game through a series of beta milestones until we reach beta phase, when the game is effectively complete, asset locked, and ready for quality assurance and balance testing prior to release as a "gold" version. This will consist of a closed (staff) beta test, followed by an open (public) beta test.

* How much will 0 A.D. cost?
Nothing. 0 A.D. will be completely free of charge, and made available through internet download.

* Are you *crazy*?
Nuttier than a brain sandwich. But there is method in our madness: First of all, we have a very honest and up-front approach. Our staff contribute for the sheer pleasure and experience of it, not for the sake of a salary. This endeavor is meant for the community at large, and meant to allow others to learn about ancient history and game development. We put our hearts and souls into the game, and that will ultimately lead to a better quality product.

But there are some practical benefits as well. There is a greater opportunity for exposure if it's free. It's also harder to knock off, since it's kind of hard to compete with a free product. Compensation for team members is easy to figure out. Working without a publisher gives us the freedom from a publisher's deadlines, or their instructions about what we can or cannot do. We can upgrade, patch or mod at any time without first clearing it with our publisher. Last but not least, a free game saves us some legal problems. We can, for example, use certain third-party libraries without having to pay licensing fees.

* Will there be a monthly fee to play the game?
No. The game will be free. Honest. No catch.

* Will the game support multiple language versions?
Yes, we are designing the engine so that all text is centralised in language pack string tables. Our only limitations are the capabilities of unicode and, more importantly, finding members willing to translate all of the game's text into the language of their choice. Localisation will only occur when all English text has been finalised and tested, however.

* When will 0 A.D. be released?
We won't really know until we've finished it. Expect the process to take several years, plus we intend to devote a whole year to beta testing. Information about release dates will be released at the appropriate time.

* When is your scheduled beta test?
We have not yet set a formal date for our open beta. Many months of development and testing await. It will occur after the product has passed rigorous quality inspection in our closed beta (internal testing by all Wildfire Games staff). Rest assured that the beta shall be publicised closer to the time.

* How can I apply for the beta test?
We have a long way to go before we reach that stage, so we are not receiving any applications at this time.

DISTRIBUTION

* How will the game be distributed?
Primarily by Internet download (through any available host servers), although we'll pursue any alternatives we can find, from gaming magazine cover disks to file sharing networks. Ultimately the level and diversity of distribution will be dependent upon the final popularity of the product.

We will actively encourage free distribution. Yes, we WANT people to pirate this, to try and spread it around as much as possible. Burn a copy for a friend; burn 10 copies for 10 friends. Burn a copy for your neighbour's cat.

* Can I get the game sent to me on CD?
Unknown at this time; if there is sufficient demand, we could arrange CD distribution (though obviously we cannot afford to pay the P&P costs ourselves). Until we can gauge the popularity of the game and the need for this method, we currently assume Internet download only.

* Is the download going to be very large?
We won't have a precise value until the content is completed, but we estimate 300-400mb for the full game. We plan to make the game available in a series of optional modules, however, so that the player can download only those game components that are most essential to himself.

* Is there a demo version?
No, and there probably won't be one. After all, what would be the point in downloading a demo when you can download the full game? The only benefit would be a smaller download, and we get around that with modules.

* Modules?
We will split the game into a number of independent modules that can be separately downloaded, allowing the player to customise his experience by only downloading the components he wants to use. If a component of the game is very large, we will make it separately available. For example, additional assets that aren't used in the official campaigns and random maps will be available as a separate download, since it will be most useful to modders. This means that players can download aspects of the game in chunks over a long period of time, and can get into the game as quickly as possible

HISTORY

* Are you aware that the year 0 A.D. did not technically exist?
Indeed. Think of 0 A.D. as a hypothetical time period that never existed. It is a snapshot in time where major players of the classical ages were placed in an observatory. This is your chance to see them 'duke it out'. Your job as the player is to create the hypothetical and recreate the historical.

* What period of history is covered?
Our ultimate intention is to portray the major civilisations that interacted with Rome, and Rome itself, over the millennium of 500 BC to 500 AD.

That is an ambitious prospect, so we are splitting our efforts and focusing on the BC civilisations in the first edition of 0 A.D., then will add the remaining civilisations and additional features in future expansion packs.

* How historically accurate will 0 A.D. be?
As much as we can make it. Our dedicated historians oversee all of our content to ensure it's historically accurate. Ancient history is a rich resource to exploit, and we hope to promote greater interest in it. However, there are various factors we have to take into account that won't allow us pure realism and authenticity:

- Gameplay: Above all, we want 0 A.D. to be fun. History can be very exciting; it can also be boring and tedious. And there was no arbitrator whom ensured that the sides were evenly matched. Therefore, we have to consider game balance, accessiblity, ease of use, varied strategies, interesting choices.
- Audience: We want our games to be accessible to as wide an audience as possible. History can be brutal, and ugly. The wars of the ancients were also outrageously violent, employing methods that are barbaric by modern standards. We hope that people of all ages will be playing 0 A.D., so we're obliged to circumvent mature topics like child sacrifice (Carthaginians), bloody heads on poles (Celts), and nudity (Greeks and Celts).
- Genre: By its nature, Real Time Strategy is absurdly illogical. It distills the principles of tactical turn-based wargaming so it's feasible to have a similar experience in real time, and that means a lot of concessions and abstract simplifications of real world warfare.

Possibly we could release 'official' WFG history mods at a later stage, that people could download to make it historically correct. But the default will be both fun and family friendly.

* The game is based at the centrepoint of Christ's birth. Will He be in the game?
No. It could be taken as sacriligeous and/or preachy to include Jesus in a game; either way it could be offensive, so it's best to avoid the issue altogether. Of course, players could create such a unit with our modding tools, if they wish.

GAMEPLAY

* What are some of the key features of 0 A.D.?
- Accurate History: All our content is validated by our History Department to ensure that it is true to source wherever possible (unless it negatively affects gameplay).

- Citizen Soldiers: There will be no standard villager unit in 0 A.D. Instead, basic infantry and cavalry have certain gather, repair, capture and construction abilities, making them substantially more versatile.

- Unit Auto Upgrading: Citizen Soldiers will gain experience and automatically gain promotions. With each rank, they become stronger, and gain a unique appearance.

- Units on Buildings: Some garrisoned units will be visible on the battlements of buildings or the decks of ships, and capable of firing on opponents in range.

- Realistic Ships: Ship gameplay will include a variety of new features, from a much larger scale, to ship capture, to sea rams, to a modular design that allows catapults to be stationed on the decks, and units to fire from the bows.

- Excellent Moddability: Our aim is to make the game as data-driven as possible, and allow end-users to override that data, using custom independent mod packs, to have as much control over adding assets and editing existing content as our own scripters.

- More Multiplayer modes: The host will have a wide variety of game types and features to tweak when creating a game session, permitting the kind of gameplay that he most enjoys.

- Seasons: Over time, the environment will cycle through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Combined with the scenario's climate, rain and snow will fall with varying severity. Trees blaze into Autumn red or the fresh greenness of Spring, flowers bloom, and denuded husks of trees smother in the snow of Winter.

- Provinces and Territories: In some game types, the map is subdivided into Provinces which must be captured and annexed into a player's territory in order to reap their valuable resources and construct forward bases in these areas. A player's starting Territory can also be surrounded by attrition borders to reduce early rushes, if the host wishes.

- Many other small details that reduce economic and tech micromanagment, putting more focus on millitary strategy and tactics.

* Will I be able to reconfigure the game's keyboard hotkeys?
Yes.

* Will there be relics?
Unknown at this time.

* Will the player be able to place traps or lay mines?
No traps are planned for any civilisations under development, and obviously we're in the wrong historical period to use mines and other explosives.

* Will there be ladders in sieges?
No ladders.

* Does the player advance through Ages?
The game doesn't have 'Ages', but it does have tiers of advancement we call "phases". These upgrades are based on city growth of a single colony (Village->Town->City), instead of a vast leap through history.

CIVILISATIONS

* How many civilisations will be playable?
Our ultimate goal is to feature the primary civilisations that existed between 500 BC and 500 AD (hence the title of 0 A.D.) This endeavour will be split into several expansion pack projects to ensure optimum development time. The first release will focus on six civilisations spanning the first five hundred years of this millennial range:
1 Pre-Imperial Rome
2 The Hellenic City States of Athens, Sparta and Macedonia
3 The Celtic Britons and Gauls
4 The Carthaginians
5 The Persian Empire
6 The Iberians

* Will all civilisations share the same units and buildings, or will they be unique?
Each civilisation will be unique, with a very distinct appearance.

* Will the game cover all the Ages of a civilisation's lifespan?
No, each civilisation will be represented as they would have appeared at a frozen moment in their history, typically at the peak of their civilisation. A number of gameplay factors, such as the use of seasons, contribute to a much narrower view of a civilisation's reign than other historical RTSes.

* How many unit types will each civilisation have available?
The maximum possible unit set available to a civilisation is 5 military foot units (Infantry Citizen Soldiers), 4 military cavalry units (Cavalry Citizen Soldiers), 3 support units, 3 siege weapons, 4 ships, 2 Super Units, and 3 Heroes.

No civilisation gets all categories, and some lack as many as 5 different unit types.

* Where can I find a list of all the units and buildings available to each civilisation?
We haven't released this information yet, and are unlikely to do so for some time. Details about the civilisations are one of the last aspects of the game we are designing, sketching, and modelling. Until that is complete, any information about them will be even more subject to change than usual.

* How are the civilisations different?
You'll have to play the game to find out.

ENVIRONMENT

* Are map features revealed at the start of a game?
The host can specify whether Fog of War and Shroud of Darkness is used, but typically Fog of War is enabled, and the player's Territory (quadrant of the map) and any regions within LOS of his units are cleared of Shroud of Darkness at the start of the game.

* Will the game have weather effects, such as rain and snow?
Yes.

* What effect will seasons and weather have on gameplay?
They'll add a lot of variety to the environment and there are subtle gameplay considerations (eg visibility in the middle of a Winter blizzard), but seasons and weather effects will be largely cosmetic. (We did have a number of gameplay effects in the design, but have decided to backburner them for now.)

* Will there be natural disasters?
No, at least certainly not as part of standard gameplay.

* Will rivers have high and low tides?
No. We hoped to include this at one point, but it was declared technically infeasible.

* Will there be any indoor maps?
No.

* What size maps will be available?
Small, Medium, Large and Huge. The equivalent of "Giant" size in Age of Mythology® is about the largest we will go.

* Will Line of Sight be blocked by objects in a unit/building's field of vision?
No, we'll be using standard RTS peripheral vision. It's technically possible, but would be dog slow, and those CPU cycles can be better used elsewhere. Besides, it would make scouting very tedious.

* How are you going to handle units obscured by other objects?
Currently we plan to outline the unit in the player's colour.

* How about terrain effects on combat? Does higher ground have advantages?
Yes. Units will gain a small bonus to their Line of Sight and Attack Range when attacking from higher ground. Some buildings also have an Elevation Bonus that provides a similar bonus to garrisoned units.

ECONOMY

* Do I have to collect resources in 0 A.D.?
Indeed. There are four resources: Food, Wood, Stone and Ore. We'll be using a non-shuttling economy method, to reduce pathfinding processing and micromanagement, and focus more on combat and strategy.

* Are resources finite?
Yes. All natural resources can be exhausted, and new sources must be found or seized.

* How are resources gathered?
Food can be gathered by farming Fields (using infantry or Female Citizens), hunting animals in the wild (using cavalry), or herding domestic animals into a Corral (again using cavalry). Wood is gathered by infantry from trees, stone from rocks and boulders, and ore from mineral deposits (all require that a resource-gathering building be erected nearby).

* Will any civilisations receive mobile resource-gathering buildings?
This is not planned for any civilisations currently in development. However, some civilisations planned for the Expansion Pack are nomadic, and so they might receive this ability.

* Can I receive resources by pillaging/looting?
Yes. A player receives a small "plunder bonus" when destroying a building or unit, which is added equally to all resources in his Resource Pool. When killing a Trader, the salvage reward is equivalent to the quantity of goods the Trader was carrying at the time.

* Can wild animals be tamed and/or brought under the control of a civ?
Certain animals (such as goats and cows) can be domesticated and herded by nearby cavalry, which can then be corraled if the player wishes. Other animals (including dangerous ones) can be hunted. Some civilisations can herd and corral unusual wild animals, such as camels and elephants, to convey special cavalry bonuses.

* You didn't say fishing. Why isn't there fishing?
We hope to include fishing in the Expansion Pack, but there is a possibility it won't be in the First Edition. True-scaled ships bring with them many issues that need to be tested, including whether they could feasibly fish narrow bodies of water.

* Will the host be able to select the resource level on the map?
Yes.

DIPLOMACY

* Can I ally with computer players?
Yes.

* Will there be team games?
Yes.

* Will there be team bonuses for alliances?
Yes. Every civilisation has a unique team bonus conveyed on itself and all allies when allied.

* What are my diplomatic options?
A player can declare other players (or computer opponents) as allies or enemies.

* Can I trade resources?
Yes. A player can tribute any of the four resources to an ally or enemy, exchange resources at a market, or accumulate resources through trade routes, either domestic (between his own Provinces) or international (with allied Provinces). All of these actions require a Market.

* Can I trade with civilisations that aren't on the map?
No. Although exchanging resources at a Market does not require trade units, so this could be considered off-map trade.

* Can I share vision with allies?
Yes, but a unique tech must first be researched.

* Can I place signal flares to attract allies to a certain position on the map?
Yes.

* Can I trade units with an ally?
Unknown at this time. We will have to test the concept and see whether it is cost-effective to implement, and how it affects balancing.

* Can I share my army with an ally?
The issues are similar to those for tributing units above.

UNITS

* Can I name my units?
Conventional humanoid units will be created with a randomly generated culture-specific name.

* Can regular units be upgraded?
Yes, there are a variety of technologies that can be researched. Once researched, these improvements apply globally to all units of the specified type. (The availability of these techs contributes to the strengths and weaknesses of each civilisation.)

* Can units upgrade on their own?
Citizen Soldiers (basic infantry and cavalry units, which also have economic abilities) accumulate experience and will automatically gain ranks, becoming more powerful in combat with each promotion.

* Will Citizen Soldiers gain new abilities when they gain ranks?
No. But they will become progressively more adept in combat with each rank.

* How many times can a Citizen Soldier gain a promotion?
Infantry Citizen Soldiers and Cavalry Citizen Soldiers start at Basic rank, and can then be promoted to Advanced and finally Ultimate rank.

* Do upgrades change the appearance of units?
Typically technologies do not change a unit's appearance (just their statistics). Citizen Soldiers, however, will have three unique ranks, and each rank will have its own appearance.

* Won't it be quite hard to tell the different units apart?
Hopefully not. We are putting a lot of emphasis on using our attachment system to vary the props and textures of each unit's rank. Each rank will be very distinct but logically related to its associated ranks.

* Are there flying units?
No, unless you count cosmetic birds that add flavour to the environment.

* Can units mount and dismount at will?
No. A cavalry unit is trained as mounted and stays mounted throughout the game. Of course, a talented modder could unofficially create such an effect using custom triggers and animations.

* Can units/buildings/ships/animals be converted to a player?
Yes, some buildings and ships can be captured, some animals can be herded/domesticated/rustled, and there are rare instances where units can change allegiance, although Healer units do not receive this traditional ability.

* Do different units have different types of armour?
Yes, we have hack (melee) armour (swords, axes, hammers, maces, etc), pierce armour (spears, pikes, arrows, bolts, darts, etc), and crush armour (siege weapon projectiles and ram attacks).

* Are there any stealth units?
We have some plans for this. In particular, some infantry units will be able to move through and hide in forested areas, and can be difficult to see unless revealed by another infantry unit in LOS.

* Do units have morale? Can they be bolstered by Standard Bearers and Heroes, or unnerved by Noise Makers? Does morale drop in Winter?
Morale will not be part of the first edition of 0 A.D. We did plan to implement morale and these surrounding features in an earlier revision of the design, but decided to backburner it until further notice. Morale will probably be implemented in a future Expansion Pack, depending on whether it proves to positively contribute to gameplay.

* Is there a limit to the number of units that can be on a map at a time?
The Population Limit will be as high as we can make it within the constraints of hardware on release. We won't know until we actually start testing, but currently assume a cap of 150.

* Why is there a population limit of 150 units per player?
This is our first game of this scale and we're trying to maintain reasonable requirements, so this is an initial conservative estimate. Should we exceed these limits and maintain decent performance, we could certainly increase them.

* But won't we hit that cap very quickly?
A number of game mechanics have been designed to make individual units more formidable and scale back the need to have five times as many units/buildings to gain the effectiveness of one, so it's a matter of quality over quantity.

Secondly, basic military units share economic abilities as "Citizen Soldiers", and therefore dedicated gatherers are no longer occupying a significant share of the player's population limit.

* How many units can I select at once?
30.

* Can I group units by pressing the Ctrl+# key combinations?
Yes.

* Can I set my groups into different formations?
Yes.

* Can units walk on walls?
We plan to implement this in the Expansion Pack, but have delayed it for now as it will be a technical challenge best left for when we know the ins and outs of our scripting system.

* Do units regenerate health?
Yes. Virtually all humanoid units slowly regenerate health, greatly increasing their chances of survival. Mechanical units (ships, siege weapons, and buildings) will need to be repaired.

HEROES

* What are Heroes?
Heroes are special, powerful figures from ancient history that confer unique bonuses upon surrounding units. They are typically best employed at the forefront of any battle.

* How powerful are Hero units?
It varies from unit to unit, but they are generally capable of single-handedly defeating several normal units.

* How do Heroes differ from one another?
Like Super Units, Heroes have different attributes and unique abilities, in particular a unique Aura that bestows bonuses on surrounding units.

* Do Hero Auras need to be researched?
Normally, no.

* Do Heroes gain ranks?
No. In 0 A.D., the player's basic infantry and cavalry accumulate experience, becoming more valuable the longer they survive. By contrast, a civilisation's Heroes and Super Units are immediately very powerful, but greatly limited in number and only available in the late game. (However, in a campaign game, a player may receive special Heroes that advance the plot of the scenario.)

* Can Heroes be carried over from one game to the next?
The Heroes are a core part of the game play and story in the single-player campaign, so will feature strongly in scenarios as the player progresses through the campaign. In multiplayer, however, you start each game from scratch.

* How do I produce Heroes in Random Map games?
In a typical Random Map game, a player may only have one active Hero at a time, but can choose from three Heroes unique to his civilisation. Heroes are trained from the Fortress.

* Will I lose the game if my Hero dies?
That depends on the game conditions, but is normally not the case. But in a Herocide game type, for example, all players begin with one Hero, and an opponent can be defeated by slaying his Hero.

* So what happens to Heroes when they die? Can they be retrained, resurrected, or are they lost forever?
In a typical Random Map game, each Hero can live once and die once. Other game modes allow them to be recycled.

* Are there any female Heroes?
Yes.

* Can I name my Heroes?
Each Hero is a unique figure from history, and so is pre-named.

TECHNICAL - GENERAL

* Is 0 A.D. open source?
Yes. As of 10th July 2009 the source code is available under the GPL license and the Art under the BY-SA Creative Commons license.

* What are the major features of the engine?
- 3D Terrain.
- 3D Units and other world objects.
- 3D Buildings.
- Particle System.
- Environmental Effects.
- Powerful yet intuitive GUI.
- Editable Scripting for AI and Random Maps.
- OGL Graphics Engine.
- 3D Graphics Card Accelerated.
- 32-bit Colour.

* What are the probable system requirements?
Minimum:
- Windows® 2000 or greater (or Linux®)
- 1 Ghz Processor
- 256 Mb RAM
- 32 Mb Geforce3/Radeon 8500 (or equivalent)
Recommended:
- Windows® 2000 or greater (or Linux®)
- 1.6 Ghz Processor or greater
- 256+ Mb RAM
- 64 Mb Geforce3/Radeon 8500 (or equivalent)

* Is it a 3D game?
We are developing a tailor-made engine, featuring 3D units, buildings, and terrain.

* Will the engine support zooming and rotation?
Zooming: Yes. Rotation: Yes (if enabled).

* What kind of camera do you have?
Perspective. Scripted cutscenes will be permitted full camera control.

* 'Perspective' camera? What does that mean?
It means that closer objects appear larger than objects in the distance. Here are some good definitions.

* Will there be multi-monitor support?
No. The Programming Department has considered the implications, but there are too many performance, platform-dependence, and hardware issues.

* Can I play the game in a window?
Yes, a windowed mode will be available.

TECHNICAL - GRAPHICS

* What screen resolutions will be supported?
We support most screen resolutions in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Minimum resolution is 1024x768 (since lower resolutions are gradually being phased out).

Maximum resolution is dependent upon what your monitor supports (obviously at the expense of reduced frame rate), so typically 1600x1200.

* Does 0 A.D. require a 3D accelerator?
Yes.

* What graphics API do you support?
OpenGL.

* What version of DirectX will be needed?
We do not support DirectX. We use the OpenGL API, which has the advantage of functioning just as well on a Linux® system.

* Okay, then what version of OpenGL do I need?
You can't "get" a specific OpenGL version - it's basically bundled into your video card drivers, so the version available is determined by the card and the set of OpenGL functionality implemented in the drivers. Up to date drivers can be downloaded from the website of your video card manufacturer.

Currently, we require a card with drivers supporting OpenGL 1.3. This may rise to 1.4. However, some cards support 1.3, but use software mode for some features that we use.

Conclusion: if you have a Radeon 8500 or better, or a Geforce 3 or better, with up to date drivers, you'll be able to run 0 A.D. with no problems.

* What about Glide?
No, there isn't enough demand for Glide support.

* Will there be any cinematic sequences (pre-rendered movies) in the game?
Unfortunately, no. While this might be a standard feature for mainstream games, most (if not all) media formats are patented (requiring a paid license to encode movie files), closed-source, royalty-taxed, and/or platform bound.

Without a budget, we cannot afford to pay these fees, and have yet to find a feasible independent alternative, and so we will have to limit cinematics to separate promotional trailers on the website. Besides, they would contribute significantly to the download size, which could be better used by playable game content.

We shall compensate by using in-game cutscenes and storyboards to advance plot.

TECHNICAL - AUDIO

* Are environmental and 3D positional sounds supported?
We support environmental sounds. 3D sounds don't make as much sense with our chosen in-game camera view, so we don't support 3D sounds.

* Does 0 A.D. support the MP3 sound format?
Unfortunately, MP3 encoding requires an expensive license that cannot be financed by a non-profit team. We have settled for the .ogg alternative, which might not have MP3's hold on the market, but is of equal or greater quality.

* Can I create custom playlists, adding my own MP3s to play in the background?
New audio files can be added, but .mp3 files will have to be converted to .ogg for them to be playable (which won't be of equivalent quality to ripping a raw audio file to .ogg).

* Does 0 A.D. have built-in voice communication software?
No.

TECHNICAL - PLATFORM

* Are there any plans to port a Linux® version?
Yes. The game will be available on both Windows® and Linux® systems.

* What about a version for Macintosh® systems?
Since we are placing strong emphasis on preserving platform independence in our engine, with the intention of providing Linux® support, this might make it feasible to provide adequate support on additional platforms in the future (if there is sufficient demand). However, we are only taking Windows® and Linux® platforms into account at this time. Any additional conversions will only be considered long after the game is released.

* Will a person playing the game in Windows® be able to play multiplayer with a person using Linux®?
Yes, the two platforms will be able to communicate without any issues.

* I only have Windows® 95/98; can I still play 0 A.D.?
Unfortunately, no. Linux®, Windows® XP and subsequent Windows® operating systems are supported, but nothing earlier than that. This is due to the nature of some of the code's low-level architecture and third-party libraries. We'd simply have to overcome far too much operating system baggage that has since been phased out.

SINGLE PLAYER

* What Single Player campaigns will ship with the game?
Campaign development will not begin until the game is in an extremely mature state, so we're going to keep our planned campaigns under wraps for now..

* Are there different difficulty levels for Single Player campaigns?
Yes. You are able to replay any level at a tougher or easier level after you complete or lose it.

* How many scenarios will be in each campaign?
About 4-8.

* Do I have to play the campaigns in order?
No. All the campaigns are available at any time, though their individual scenarios must be played in sequence (unless the player has already completed a scenario, in which case he can replay it at any time).

* Will I be able to replay a scenario at a lower difficulty if I lose (or change to a higher one if it isn't enough of a challenge)?
Yes, if you are defeated, you will have the option of replaying the scenario, and can specify your difficulty level when doing so. A player that has completed a scenario can replay it at any time (but only at the same or lower difficulty).

* Will there be any cheat codes?
Yes. But the player will have to beat challenges in order to unlock them.

* Will 0 A.D. have skirmish modes?
Absolutely. Singleplayer skirmish gamers will have just as many customisation options as multiplayers.

* Will I be able to pause the game?
Yes. In single player, you will be able to pause the game and still scroll the map view and queue tasks for units.

MULTI PLAYER

* Can I pick my team colour at the start of a multiplayer game?
Yes.

* How many players can be in a multiplayer game?
We are currently limiting ourselves to 2-6 players. This may be increased to 8 players, pending performance.

* How long would a normal 2 player game of 0 A.D. last?
That cannot be accurately determined until we reach the stage where we can test complete gameplay. It is also highly dependent upon a number of variable factors: The size of the map, the resource allocation, the victory conditions, various modifiers (starting resources, construction/research rates, etc) and the skill level of the two players.

Probably under an hour, but we could see them lasting 2-3 hours.

* Can I play over both LAN and the Internet?
Yes, both LAN and Internet games are supported through TCP/IP.

* Are Modem/IPX games supported?
Only TCP/IP is supported (which still allows modem users to directly connect through their ISP), so you'll have to set up a proper network. In a LAN, Windows® basically takes care of that automatically, but using a null-modem might require some tweaking. If you have a modem Internet connection, you're all set.

* Can players play direct TCP/IP?
Yes.

* What network model is used?
Client/Server. The reduced complexity will decrease development time, and it's easier to cheat-proof. However, the disadvantage is that the hosting player needs a fast Internet connection.

* Will the game require a broadband connection?
No, for clients, a 56k modem is sufficient. However, the host will need at least an ISDN connection.

* Will there be any multiplayer campaigns in 0 A.D.?
No, none are planned at this time.

* What game types will be available?
There will be a wide variety of customisation options to cater to different playing styles and preferences. We are keeping the details under wraps for now, but expect a great deal of replayability.

* How can I join a multiplayer game? Will there be a lobby?
This depends significantly on funding and whether we can afford to maintain a dedicated server upon release. Given the non-profit nature of our project, we will probably have to assume only IP and LAN for multiplayer.

* Will there be an Observation mode?
Unknown at this time.

* Will there be a Buddy List?
Unknown at this time.

* What about multiplayer ladders and records?
Again, this depends on a central server which it is highly unlikely we will be able to provide. Also, the security of such a system is limited, because at some point the server is going to have to trust the user's client's result.

We could, however, get around the lack of a server by providing a web interface where players can enter their results themselves and validate the results of their opponents.

* Can I send maps to other players if they don't have them installed?
We'll probably support automatic downloading of the map and all the resources, so joining a custom multiplayer game should work out-of-the-box.

* Can I join a game that is already in progress?
No.

* What will you do to prevent cheating?
We are putting a lot of emphasis on network/file security to ensure that 0 A.D. is a fun, secure experience. For obvious reasons we can't disclose the details. Post-support software updates will also aid in filtering out maphacks as they are encountered.

* Does 0 A.D. support 'spawning'?
There is no need to install a "spawned" (limited multiplayer-only copy from a single CD) version of the game, because 0 A.D. is completely free and available to all players that wish to download and distribute it.

* Can cheats be used in multiplayer games?
Absolutely not. Multiplayer games will remain 'cheat free'.

REPLAYS

* Does 0 A.D. include game recording or replays?
Yes. We feel that there is so much to be learned from watching great games and skilled players that a record feature is well worth the effort.

* How do I view replays?
Single Player, Multiplayer and Campaign replays are accessible from the game's main menu.

* How can I delete replays?
There will be a delete option in the replay list.

* Why can't we rewind replays?
A game replay is not the equivalent of a video tape. A replay is a simulation of a previously played game, for which we store only the initial game state, random seeds, and user interface commands that took place in the game. This means that replays cannot be played in reverse. Rewindable replays would take up hundreds of megabytes of space.

* Will replays work across game versions?
Because of the way that replays are generated, they cannot be viewed across game versions. A replay needs to recreate an identical simulation of the recorded game.

MODDING

* Can I modify 0 A.D.?
Yes, a substantial number of our development tools will ship with the game, including the map, scenario, scripting, tech tree and victory condition editors.

* Can I add new unit types and models?
The game is designed to be highly data-driven and moddable. In addition to a number of other moddable areas, the player will be able to import new assets into the game and define the attributes of entities through the Scenario Editor's Object Editor.

* Will the game have a Scenario Editor?
Yes. It can be used to create your own 3D maps and even your own complete campaigns. You also are able to create triggers and
scripts within each map.

* Is the Scenario Editor quite difficult to use?
Our goal is to provide an easy-to-use 3D World Editor that anyone can use to make maps. It also contains more advanced features that have steeper initial learning curves to use to their fullest potential.

* What are some of the advanced features of the Scenario Editor?
There is a great deal of advanced functionality in the Scenario Editor. As an example, you can adjust the rotation and colour of the many models present in the game, and replace any of the play-balance statistics.

* Can I make my own triggers?
Yes, our extensive scripting language is available for end-user development, allowing modders to create their own triggers, Random Map Scripts, and AI (behaviour) scripts.

* What scripting language is used for 0 A.D.?
javascript.

* Are terrains and objects grouped into tilesets/biomes, or are all terrain types accessible in a single scenario?
Terrain types are grouped into biomes to cut down on performance issues. However, users can create custom tilesets using mix-and-matched elements from the existing tilesets, or new terrains he has introduced through a mod pack.

* Can I make my own in-game cutscenes?
Yes. Camera movement for in-game cinematic sequences is fully controllable in the Scenario Editor.

* Is there a Built-in Sound Editor?
Not as such. New audio files can be added using mod packs, and can be attached to game objects to be played during certain events. They will first need to be converted to .ogg format using an included application.

* Can user-customiseable splash screens be created for custom campaigns?
Yes.

SUPPORT

* Will you be adding patches to disable hacks as they turn up?
We do plan to support the game through patches by correcting any bugs or gameplay issues that arise as well as addressing hacks that we can effectively stop.

* You seem to be deliberately leaving a lot of cool features out of the game. Why?
Our first priority is to create a fun, stable, attractive, and high-quality RTS within a reasonable timeframe. For the first edition, we are therefore focusing on creating solid, streamlined gameplay without a host of extra features that would delay our release of the game by many years.

We will gain extensive expertise in the use of our tools during first edition development, and gain a much better awareness of the feasibility of implementing our more advanced ideas. Then we will progressively extend the game through post-support, adding new features and content onto these fundamentals through bonus modules and expansion packs, while 0 A.D. is in the public domain and being enjoyed by the community.

* Do you plan to create additional content after the game is released?
Yes. We are completely dedicated to evolving the world with additional content after the game ships. Our plan is to keep an active in-house development team dedicated to providing new content on a regular basis, and promoting user-created content.

* Will players have the opportunity to provide feedback about the development of the game?
Yes. Players will always be able to share their input via the forums and beta testing. We can't always comply, but we will certainly take suggestions into account.

* Are you planning to endorse user-made content? A 'Map of the Month' service, make bonus packs, and so on?
Yes, although ultimately it depends on how involved the community gets in 0 A.D. mod-making.

* Will you add new features to 0 A.D. every month?
This isn't an MMORPG, but we intend to keep the game in a state of active change until we feel that it is as complete as we can make it. It would be impossible for us to determine the time on rolling out these ideas now, and it is highly dependent on the free time available to our staff to continue to contribute.

* What expansions or add-ons are coming out?
We intend to add plenty of new content and features in future bonus packs, which is why we are focusing on bare-bones gameplay for the first edition.

After releasing the first edition, we intend to release an expansion pack for 0 A.D., adding six civilisations leading up to 500 AD, including the Roman Imperium, the Parthians, and the Dacians, Goths and Huns.

* Do you have plans for future games? What about a sequel to 0 A.D.?
Our sister project, The Last Alliance, a Middle Earth RTS, is currently in development, and will make significant use of our preliminary engine resources.

We will not rule out future projects once 0 A.D. has been brought to a satisfactory conclusion.